Bravo star Golnesa “GG” Gharachedaghi is taking a semaglutide injection to lose weight, becoming the latest celebrity to open up about using the medication to slim down.
In an Instagram video posted Tuesday, the Shahs of Sunset alum said she gained weight because her health required her to take steroids. This prompted her to take semaglutide, though she later specified it wasn’t Ozempic, which is one of the brand names for the medication and is used to treat Type 2 diabetes.
“I don’t know if it’s because I’m 41 years old or had a baby, whatever it is. I’ve been having a very very, very hard time getting rid of that weight. So I did what all the people are doing and lying about. I’m on the weight-loss shots, honey, OK,” Gharachedaghi says in her video. “I’m just not gonna lie about it because I always keep it real about what is fake.”
The FDA first approved semaglutide under the name Ozempic in 2017 for Type 2 diabetes and again in 2021 under the name Wegovy for weight loss. According to a 2021 FDA report, Wegovy was approved for “chronic weight management in adults with obesity or overweight with at least one weight-related condition,” including high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol. (Semaglutide is also sold as a pill called Rybelsus.)
However, concerns of people misusing Ozempic or Wegozy have risen as there’s reportedly been a shortage of the drug for people who need it to treat diabetes or obesity as others who may not need it are using it slim down.
Several celebrities have admitted to taking semaglutide. A few, like influencer Remi Bader, noted they were prescribed the drug to manage their health, while others including Chelsea Handler have admitted to taking the drug for weight loss despite not needing it. In January, Handler said she stopped taking a prescribed semaglutide upon learning it was, in fact, Ozempic.
In the video, Gharachedaghi demonstrated how to take the drug by injecting herself with 20 units of the medication and advised viewers to listen to their doctor’s instructions. She also asked viewers to question claims from celebrities that say they got skinny all of a sudden by becoming healthy or sober from alcohol.
“Most likely they’re just doing the shots, and it’s not a big deal,” Gharachedaghi said.
One user commented on the post saying she is a healthcare worker who sees a shortage of people who can’t access semaglutide.
“Love the honesty, however if it’s semaglutide you are talking about then it’s a shame,” user @nonchalantmuch wrote. “I work in the healthcare field and it breaks my heart to see many type 2 diabetes patients struggle to find this medication due to the high demands on people who don’t need it.”
Tabasum Mir, the doctor who, according to Gharachedaghi’s post, prescribed her the medicine, replied to the user, saying the information in their comment was inaccurate and that the semaglutide (in Gharachedaghi’s case, it seems) is for weight loss rather than diabetes.
Gharachedaghi also replied, saying, “correct! I do NOT take Ozempic. I am on a semaglutide.”
While Ozempic is a brand name for semaglutide, Gharachedaghi did not state the brand name of the drug she’s on.
